How to Grow Red Hot Poker Flowers - Torch Lily

About Growing Red Hot Poker Plants in Your Flower Garden

Drought and heat tolerant perennial Red Hot Poker plants are easy to grow. They will do well in mid-summer heat when other plants have wilted. They are great for arid, and semi-arid areas. You may know Red Hot Poker flowers by another name. It is also called Torch Lily and Poker Plant. The plants are native to warm regions of South Africa. If you are already growing Red Hot Poker flowers, you know how rewarding it is to grow them. If this is your first time, this guide will help you to successfully grow them this year and every year thereafter.

The plants grow two to five feet high, depending upon variety. The leaves are long, thin, and dagger-like. They produce flowered spikes from spring through fall, as long as you deadhead the spent spikes. Flower colors include the ever-popular red (of course!), orange, coral, cream, and yellow. It should come as no surprise that Hummingbirds like the tubular florets.

Red Hot Poker plants look their best when grown in clumps, and display lots of blooms. Importantly, check the height of the variety you purchase, to determine where it best fits in your mixed flower garden. We also suggest they are placed for easy viewing, so you won’t miss the Hummingbirds when they visit!

Did You Know? In some cultures, Red Hot Pokers symbolize endurance, passion, and strength.

Red Hot Poker Flower Plant Specifications

Flower Colors: Colors include orange, pink, red, and yellow.

Flowers Bloom: Late Spring to summer.

Plant Height: Two to five feet tall, depending upon variety.

Ideal Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.5.

Hardiness Zones: 6 – 9

Light Requirements: Full sunlight.

Is the Plant Toxic? Yes.

Deer Resistant? Yes. The plants are resistant to deer, rabbits, and other foraging animals.

Native To: South Africa

Number of Species: 70

Plant Type: Perennial.

Botanical Name: Kniphofia

Other Names: African Flame Flower, Devil’s Poker, Tritoma

Are Red Hot Poker Plants Edible?

NO!!

Consumption of these plants are a serious health risk. The plants cause abdominal pains, nausea, and vomiting. contact with the plant can cause eye and skin irritation.

We recommend wearing gloves when working with this flower.

Medicinal Use for Red Hot Poker Plants

The roots of Red Hot Poker plants have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antitumor properties. As a result, it is used in a variety of medicinal applications. Here are some of them:

Use it to lower fevers.
It is a treatment for diarrhea.
It is used to treat a variety of skin problems.

Important Note: Because this plant is toxic, we recommend you do not use the plant to make home remedies without the proper training.

Light Requirements

Red Hot Poker plants grow best in full, direct sunlight. Plant them in a location where they will receive six to eight hours or more of bright sunlight. They also grow in partial shade. However, less sunlight can result in fewer, smaller, and less brilliant flowers.

Red Hot Poker Plant Propagation

Perennial Red Hot Poker plants are grown from seeds. They can be directly seeded into your flower garden or started indoors for transplanting later. Sow Red Hot Poker seeds early in the season and cover lightly with 1/4″ of fine garden or potting soil. Due to the long germination time, make sure to clearly mark the planting site.

For indoor starts, sow seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost in your area. We recommend planting them in separate peat pots, allowing ample room for root growth. This will make transplanting easier.

Note: We recommend a heated germination mat, to increase the speed of seed germination. Also, the germination rate is higher.

Ideal plant spacing is 18″ -24″. Thin or transplant seedlings, if needed, when they reach 2″. They will tolerate a little crowding.

Established plants can also be propagated by plant division. It is best to do this in the Spring or late Fall. First, dig up the roots. Next, separate them into clumps. Then, replant the clumps in the desired location, with the crowns at or just below the soil level. Finally, keep the soil moist for a few weeks, to help the plants get re-established in their new home.

Days to Germination: Plants sprout in 21 to 28 days.

About Seed Germination

How to Grow Red Hot Poker Flower Plants

Red Hot Poker plants are very easy to grow. Select a planting location where they will receive full sun.

Garden Tip: Place Red Hot Poker flowers where they can be seen from a window in your house. Then, watch the Hummingbirds as they feed on the nectar-laden flowers. They are attracted to the tubular flowers. Red is the best color for attracting Hummingbirds.

The plants prefer loose, rich soil that drains well. It is important to avoid wet soils, as the crowns can rot. Mix in compost when planting, if your soil is not rich.

Add a general-purpose fertilizer when planting them, then once a month after that.

Once your Red Hot Poker plants are established, they should grow well with few problems. They will grow on their own with little care or attention. Just make sure to view them often, to enjoy their brilliant blooms.

Flower spikes will begin to bloom in the spring. Deadhead the spent spikes, to promote continuous blooms all the way to fall. Remove the entire spike and its stem.

Red Hot Poker plants are heat and drought tolerant. But, we do recommend watering them during the driest periods of summer. They will do well in mid-summer heat.

Mulching around the plants creates a neat and tidy appearance Then, the decomposing mulch will feed the plant, too.

Pruning Red Hot Poker Plants

The plant needs little or no pruning. Use pruning shears to remove dead, damaged, or diseased leaves and stems.

Deadhead the spent flower spikes to promote new blooms. Use pruning shears to cut the flower stem where it meets the stem of the plant.

How to Grow Red Hot Poker Plants in Flowerpots and Containers

Red Hot Poker flowers with their vibrant colors are an excellent choice to grow in a container on your patio or deck. You will be very happy to see them growing in a sunny spot on your patio or deck.

Like any container-grown plant, they need a little more care and attention. In addition to normal plant care, here’s how to grow Red Hot Poker flowers in containers:

Select a sunny to mostly sunny location on your deck.
It is important to have a drain hole in the container to allow excess water to drain from the pot.
Keep an eye on the moisture level. Check the plants every few days, especially in extended periods of hot, dry weather.
Let the soil dry out between watering.
When watering the plants, thoroughly wet the soil. Excess water will drain through the hole in the bottom of the flowerpot.
Nutrients in a flowerpot are limited. So, use fertilizer spikes to feed the plants. Or, apply a light solution of liquid fertilizer once a month.

Insects and Plant Disease

Perennial Red Hot Poker plants have few insect and disease problems.

Also see: Plant Problems – Identify the causes and find the cures.

Overwintering Perennial Red Hot Poker Plants

In most areas of the country, perennial Red Hot Poker plants overwinter with few, if any, problems. However, if left outdoors in cold northern climates, the roots can freeze. This will damage or kill them.

Overwintering Plants Outdoors

In cold weather areas, add 2-3 inches of mulch before winter to protect the crowns. Then in the early spring, rake off the excess mulch. Also, cut the plant back to three to four inches before new growth begins to develop.

For Overwintering Plants in Containers

Bring the container into a cool garage or shed. Bring the containers back onto your patio or deck in mid-spring. Early in the spring, cut the plant back to three to four inches. Do this before new growth begins to develop.